Michael Thackwell (born 30 March 1961 in Papakura, Auckland, New Zealand [1]) is a former racing driver, who participated in a number of prominent racing categories, including Formula One. The second youngest driver ever to qualify for a Grand Prix, he participated in five of them, making his first start on 28 September 1980 at the Canadian Grand Prix. He scored no championship points. He had previously attempted unsuccessfully to qualify for the Dutch Grand Prix which was held on 31 August 1980.

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Thackwell was born into a motor racing family. For many years, his father, Ray, was a successful international speedway rider and racing driver.[4][5] When Mike was six years old, his family emigrated from New Zealand to Perth, Western Australia, where he spent his formative years, and also began racing.[4] Michael Thackwell has 4 siblings Joan Caccioppoli - Kerry John Thackwell - Lisa Brabham - Heidi Thackwell. Lisa is married to David Brabham.

Between 1972 and 1976, Thackwell attended Christ Church Grammar School, in Claremont, a suburb of Perth.[6] By the time of his Formula One debut in 1980, he spoke with an Australian accent,[2] and regarded himself as Australian,[4] but he competed, and liked to be known, as a New Zealander.[2]

For three years from the age of nine, Thackwell competed in motocross events on motorcycles supplied by his father an importer of high performance racing & sports cars. He then switched to karts, winning a Western Australian championship at the age of 14. After also winning the Hong Kong Kart Grand Prix in 1975 and 1976, he moved to England.[4]

In early 1978, Thackwell began his European career, in the Dunlop Star of Tomorrow Formula Ford championship, held in the United Kingdom. He campaigned a Van Diemen-Scholar RF78, entered by the Rushen Green team.[7] In a closely fought, 11-round series, he won five rounds, and made the podium on two other occasions,[7] but finished only third in the championship, with 72 points, behind Canadian entrant Robert Zurrer (77 points) and British driver Terry Gray (76 points).[8]

Also in 1979, March entered Thackwell and the March 793 in two races of the FIA European Formula Three Championship. He achieved a win and a fastest lap, at Monza in the Gran Premio della Lotteria.[1] In a championship won by Alain Prost, he also finished equal eighth overall, ahead of Boutsen (nine races), Arie Luyendyk (11 races), Serra (one race) and Philippe Streiff (five races) (equal thirteenth), and Jo Gartner (3 races; 21st).[10] Thackwell and the March 793 also managed pole position and fastest lap in the non-championship RAC FOCA Trophy race, but finished only ninth.[7][11]

For 1980, Thackwell decided to follow Serra and de Cesaris into Formula Two. However, before that he returned to New Zealand, to race a Marlboro-backed works March in Aurora AFX New Zealand International Formula Pacific series, alongside de Cesaris. The cars, modified F2 cars were overweight and under performed.[1]

His return to Europe, saw he again March mounted, and as early as round two at Hockenheim, he was on the pace, setting fastest lap. A feat he would repeat in the following round on the 14.272 mile Nürburgring Nordschleife, however it was at Zandvoort that he marked himself as a genuine talent.[1]

In 1980, Thackwell was signed up by Ken Tyrrell to be a test driver for Tyrrell, alongside his F2 campaign. In the mid-season, the Arrows driver, Jochen Mass was injured, so Tyrrell lent Thackwell. However, he failed to qualify for the Dutch Grand Prix. He was given another chance a few weeks later, when Tyrell made the third car available for him, at the Canadian Grand Prix. [12]

For nearly 30 years, Thackwell was often listed as the youngest driver to start a Formula One event, although this claim was arguable. In his debut race, Alan Jones and Nelson Piquet collided on the first lap under the bridge after the start/finish line and were subsequently hit by a number of other cars, including Jean-Pierre Jarier and Derek Daly, both Tyrrell drivers. Mike Thackwell negotiated his way through the carnage and returned to the start/finish line undamaged as the race had been stopped. As both Jarier's and Daly's cars were too badly damaged to repair quickly, Thackwell was instructed by Ken Tyrrell to give up his car for Jarier. The race was then restarted after the wreckage was cleaned up. Under Formula One regulations, when the race is stopped on the first lap, the racing on that lap is annulled and the race starts anew when the cars take to the grid for the second time. If a driver was involved in the first lap incident and then can not bring their car back to the second start, they have technically not taken part in the Grand Prix. This is because the Grand Prix actually begins from the second start and the original start is struck from the results.[13] Using these criteria, Ricardo Rodríguez was in fact the youngest race starter. Sebastian Vettel became in August 2006 the youngest driver to appear at a Grand Prix meeting, but only as a test driver. Jaime Alguersuari broke Thackwell's record at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, being 19 years 125 days old when he started the race.

Thackwell's debut in a Tyrrell was unsuccessful and returning to Formula Two in 1981. He was still considered to be one of stars of the future and signed by Ralt to partner Geoff Lees. After winning the International Trophy at Silverstone, and a third place at Hockenheim, he suffered a massive testing accident driving the works Ralt-Honda at Thruxton in which according to Autosport he hit a bank head on and stopped from 140mph to 0mph in under 2 feet, within weeks, although still on crutches he completed the rest of the season and still finished 6th in the Championship. [12][14]

Unable to secure any works drive in 1982 owing to Team Owners belief that he had still not recovered from his massive 1981 testing accident that left him with a shattered heel and head injuries. He managed for the 1982 season with finance from family, friends & small sponsors to obtain a drive with the small underfinanced & privately run Horag Racing and Bertram Schäfer Racing Teams, and still managed two top three results at Pau and Spa-Francorchamps. [12][14]

He rejoined the works Ralt team for 1983, coming second in that year's F2 championship to Jonathan Palmer, after taking winning at Jarama with another eight visits to the podium. [12]
The following season, he remained at Ralt, and despite having Roberto Moreno as team-mate, Thackwell went one better, dominating the championship, taking the title on the back of seven victories out of eleven races, including another success in the International Trophy race at Silverstone. By the end of the season, had another taken six pole positions and nine fastest laps. Also, he led a total of 408 of the 580 laps. [12][14]

Suddenly in the middle of his season of dominance, Thackwell was back in demand again. However, this amounted to two more fill-in one-offs drives, which finished his career in F1. [12]

For the Canadian Grand Prix, he replaced Palmer at the RAM team. He duly qualified in 25th place, and one place higher than team-mate Philippe Alliot, faster by 1.556 seconds. His race lasted until lap 30, when a broken turbo wastegate forced him into retirement. Palmer would reclaim his seat for the next race. Tyrrell wanted him to race in Germany, as Stefan Bellof was unavailable. Once again, Thackwell failed to qualify for the German Grand Prix, by just 0.055secs. [14]

Unable to get a decent drive in F1 and CART, he turned his back and raced in the F2 replacement series, the Formula 3000, winning the first round at Silverstone, and in the process, winning his third International Trophy race. He added two victories before finishing runner-up to Christian Danner. Meanwhile, he also raced four times for the TWR Jaguar team, rounding his season of with a 2nd place at the Shah Alam circuit, partnered by John Nielsen. [14]

During the European winter of 1987, Thackwell return to New Zealand to race Formula Pacific, winning the first three rounds of the MANZ Formula Pacific International Championship, going on to take the title. [14]

He concentrated on sports car racing with the Kouros Racing Team, in their Sauber C9 in 1987, only to receive yet more disappointment. His only podium finished in the World Endurance series came after he quit and took a drive with Britten Lloyd Racing in their Porsche 962GTi. This time partnering Mauro Baldi. [14]

Come 1988, he made a one-off F3000 drive for the works Ralt outfit at Pau. However, he had become disillusioned with the sport, he turned his back on the sport at the end of 1988. [14]

In the years following his withdrawal from Motor Sport, he has worked among other occupations as a Helicopter Pilot in the North Sea for Bristow Helicopters, a Gold Miner in the North-West of Western Australia and as a Teacher in England. He is widely felt to have been one of the great 'lost talents' - a driver in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to the English MotorSport Magazine, Thackwell now lives on the South Coast of England, where he still spends his free time surfing summer and winter when waves allow.